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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Advanced Listening Copy provided by NetGalley for review.
I really enjoyed this one. The audio is a full cast which is really helpful with so many POVs. It was a very fast read and feels like the author did a good job pulling twists and tying up ends that felt unexpected and needed, respectively. It’s pretty rare that a thriller gets higher than 3.5 stars for me and it’s usually bc it requires me to fully suspend my disbelief or the twists were super predictable. This was a solid 4/4.25
I really enjoyed this one. The audio is a full cast which is really helpful with so many POVs. It was a very fast read and feels like the author did a good job pulling twists and tying up ends that felt unexpected and needed, respectively. It’s pretty rare that a thriller gets higher than 3.5 stars for me and it’s usually bc it requires me to fully suspend my disbelief or the twists were super predictable. This was a solid 4/4.25
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
If you've read other books by this author, you know that there are going to be multiple plots, alternating perspectives and short, addicting chapters. That holds true with this one. It was a rollercoaster and it was fun!
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
If Something Happens to Me is a twisty crime thriller about a missing person’s case that gets reopened five years later.
Five years earlier, Ryan Richardson’s girlfriend, Ali, is kidnapped right in front of him while they were parked on a Lover’s Lane in Lexington, Kansas. Ryan’s recollection of what happened is hazy because he was struck on the head and didn’t see who took her or where they went in her car, but he becomes the main suspect in the court of public opinion. But five years later her car, which has remained missing since that night, is found in a nearby lake with two unidentified men, Ali’s purse, and an encrypted note in her writing that says, “If something happens to me.” The story of that night and what happened to Ali is told through alternating points of view: a brand new deputy sheriff, Ryan under a new name on a college trip to Italy, and the head of an organized crime family in Pittsburgh.
This is a fast-paced and enjoyable mystery and thriller with twists and turns.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🎧 Audiobook Notes: If Something Happens to Me is narrated by Paul Dateh, Helen Laser, and John Pirhalla, who do an excellent job bringing the three different points of view to life.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Something Happens To Me kept me company on my solo road trip from Vermont to Ohio this past weekend. What a terrific companion! The prologue immediately grabbed my attention, and Finlay's methodical plotting and clever use of mini cliffhangers at the end of chapters produced an incredibly entertaining story!
The story features a large cast of characters, yet the full cast narration makes the story easy to follow. Overall, I’m pretty impressed with the character development. Typically, I expect fast-paced thrillers to be mainly plot-driven, which was true in this case. However, I could also empathize with the characters' pasts, emotions, and inner struggles, including those of the villains, satisfying my craving for my character-driven elements.
Other highlights: short chapters (bonus for binge-ability), vivid setting descriptions from various places around the world, Finlay’s conscious effort to explain harmful mental health language - bravo!
Bottom Line: If Something Happens To Me is highly entertaining, with a fast-paced plot and well-developed characters. The story includes numerous twists and turns (some I guessed, others I did not) and a satisfying conclusion, making this book an ideal choice for a thrilling summer read!
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Cancer, Child death, Death, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
What an incredibly fun ride this book was. I find that Finlay's ability to write a fast paced novel with short chapters that you physically cannot put down to be why I keep coming back to his books! I loved how all the stories are interconnected, but we still spend enough time with each character to know about them and get a full picture of them. It's something that I think Finlay does so well. I thought the story was engrossing, involving mobsters, small town missing persons and the police who solve years long mysteries. It kept me on my toes, and I couldn't wait to figure out how it all tied together. At one point, my jaw literally dropped! I hesitate to say any more, just know it was very entertaining and I highly recommend. What a book, cannot wait to read more by Alex Finlay.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this book. All opinions within this review are my own.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this book. All opinions within this review are my own.